Over the next three months the Health Ministry will seek to close the loopholes in the anti-smoking legislation that allow closed areas to be characterized as open-air, thus allowing people to smoke. Smoking of cigarettes will be expressly banned in cafes, bars, restaurants etc that are closed with canopies, plastic …

The smoking ban has resulted into dramatic decline of turnover decline in cafes, bars and restaurants in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, a recent survey has shown. The decline reaches up to 63.2% say local businessmen from the sector. The survey was conducted among 205 owners of restaurants, cafes, bars and other …

A passenger on a flight from Germany to Greece has been arrested for having a smoke in the plane’s toilette. The passenger is a 32-year-old Greek-born man with German citizenship. He lit a cigarette in the toilet of a Ryanair flight from Baden-Baden airport in South Germany to Thessaloniki in …

More than 200 people called the hot line for the Smoking Ban in its first 24 hours of its operation, the Health Ministry said in a statement. According to the collected data, of 235 phone calls in total to <1142>, 58 were denouncements for smokers and facilities violating the Law. …

Just a few hours after the official launch of the Smoking Ban in closed places, the modern cunning Odysseus found a way to smoke in a cafe without fearing the fine, especially when it’s freezing cold outside. The solution is simple provided the smoker stands or sits by the windows …

Greece has officially launched the Smoking Ban on Tuesday in a festive ceremony at the Niarchos Foundation Center. Prime Minister Kyriaskos Mitsotakis addressed the audience that had gathered to listen to the official presentation of the Health Ministry’s “National Action Plan Against Smoking.” “The enemy is the tobacco smoke, not …

One day before the Smoking Ban official goes into effect in Greece on November 19, 2019, the Health Ministry published in the Official Gazette the full price list of fine for those violating the Law. The fines range from 100 to 10,000 euros and will be charged on smokers as …

Greek Police has fined two people with 50 euros each for having violated the smoking ban. The two people were customers in a cafeteria of Ialyssos on the island of Rhodes. A third customer, a lawyer and a non-smoker, called the police after he was disturbed by the cigarette smoke. …

Health Minister, Vassilis Kikilias, announced that the state will subside heaters in cafeterias so that smokers will not freeze in winter when they will be forced to sit outdoors due to the smoking ban. Speaking to Skai TV on Tuesday, Kikilias said that the formal implementation of smoking ban starts …

Owners of restaurants, bars and cafeterias will appeal the anti-smoking law at Greece’s top court, the Council of State. They believe that the total, horizontal smoking ban in their facilities will drastically decrease the volume of customers and will be disastrous for the market that has already be “hurt.” They …

The plenary of the Greek Parliament has adopted the anti-smoking law, the third in the last decade. The law was adopted with the overwhelming majority. In favor voted lawmakers of New Democracy, SYRIZA, KINAL/PASOK and MeRA25. Communist KKE voted “present”, Greek Solution against it. KKE said that it does not …

In an effort to stifle policemen objections regarding their involvement in the implementation of anti-smoking law, the Greek Health Ministry plans to give them incentives: 20% of the fines they will impose will go to their own pockets. That is a 20-euro banknote extra for the policeman who catches a …

A fine of 200 euros threatens smokers who violate the anti-smoking law, according to a bill submitted by the Greek Health Ministry to the Parliament. The fine is currently at 50 euros. The bill includes new provisions regarding smoking in public places. These are: The possibility of creating smoking areas …

A fine of 1,500 euros and withdrawal of license for one month are threatening bus and taxi drivers as well as public drivers if they’re caught smoking, the Greek Health Ministry said in a circular. Fines will be much higher, in fact will double to 3,000 euros, if a child …

For Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis implementation of the Anti-Smoking Law in public buildings is imminent. This was the decision at a meeting Mitsotakis held with the political leadership of the Health Ministry on Wednesday. The battle to improve citizens’ health trhough the reduction of smoking was the main target of …

Mayor of Thessaloniki, Yannis Boutaris, announced on Friday that he is determined to  implement the anti-smoking law by the book and will impose fines to owners of restaurants, cafeteria etc as well as to their smoking customers. “Until Easter we will inform the entrepreneurs and then, with the minimum [law …

The Council of State ruled on Wednesday that smoking is in casinos and in entertainment venues is against the constitution on Wednesday. Greece’s top court annulled the ministerial decision of 2011 that was allowing smoking towards a fee.  However, the court ruling came too late as the government had already …

European Commissioner for Health Vytenis Andriukaitis was outraged at Alternate Health Minister Pavlos Polakis for disregarding legislation banning smoking in public places. Speaking on the sidelines of an event marking World Cancer Day at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center on Athens’s southern coast on Monday, Andriukaitis said that he …

The Hellenic Cancer Society calls on the Greek state to extend the smoking ban to open public spaces likes parks, beaches and sports facilities. The HCS reportedly ask the state to extend the smoking ban and stresses at the same time that times has come also for Greece to apply …

Greece will fine with 1,500 euros smoking motorists when children below 12 years old are in the car. The fine will be imposed even it is not the driver who smokes but a passenger. The fine will be doubled if the vehicle is for public use – i.e. buses. Furthermore, …